10 common causes of lower back pain and tips on how to relieve it – Insider

Lower back pain is an all too common affliction with up to 80% of people experiencing it in their lifetime. Back pain can be debilitating, affecting your ability to work, exercise, or enjoy time with friends and family.

However, you can relieve lower back pain if you understand what's causing it. While it's best to consult with a doctor to determine the root of your pain, here are ten common causes of lower back pain.

Muscle strains are the most common cause of lower back pain. Signs your back pain may be due to muscle strains include stiffness, back spasms, pain radiating through the lower back into the butt, difficulty standing properly, and pain for more than ten days.

According to Ai Mukai, MD, a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at Texas Orthopedics, muscle strain can occur due to:

How to relieve it:

Unlike other causes which develop over time, back pain from trauma is sudden. According to Karena Wu, DPT, the owner of ActiveCare Physical Therapy and Mukai, trauma that can cause lower back pain includes:

How to relieve it: Ice, light stretching, and massage can relieve pain caused by trauma. Depending on the extent of the injury, a doctor can provide more specific treatment options.

Weak and brittle bones a condition called osteoporosis can cause vertebrae to fracture or collapse, triggering back pain.

Note: Osteoporosis affects about 200 million people worldwide and is more common in white people and women.

How to relieve it: Treatment depends on the severity and progression of your osteoporosis. Options include:

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting about 32.5 million people in the US. It occurs when cartilage in the joints begins to break down, including those in the spine, which can cause back pain.

Osteoarthritis might be responsible for your back pain if you experience other symptoms like stiffness, swelling, and a limited range of motion in your hands, hips, or knees.

How to relieve it: Medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen can help manage back pain from osteoarthritis. Long-term physical and occupational therapy can also mitigate discomfort. Procedures such as steroid or cortisone injections and joint replacement may be necessary in more severe cases.

A herniated disk occurs when a spinal disc's jelly-like center pushes out through the exterior casing. It can cause pain not only in your low back, but also in your butt, thighs, or calves. Other symptoms include numbness throughout the body and muscle weakness.

A herniated disk can be caused by:

How to relieve it:

Fibromyalgia, which affects four million Americans, is an condition in which a person experiences muscle pain for at least three months across multiple parts of their body. Researchers believe this is because of heightened pain sensors in the brain. In addition to back pain, it can also cause dull pain in the butt, shoulders, and legs.

How to relieve it: Over-the-counter pain medicine and prescribed antidepressants, alongside physical and occupational therapy, can help relieve fibromyalgia pain. In a 2017 study, researchers found a combination of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises were the most effective methods for reducing pain and increasing well-being in people with fibromyalgia.

Ankylosing spondylitis is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation of the vertebrae in your back and possibly other joints. It triggers severe pain and stiffness across the back and sometimes other areas of the body, such as the hips, ribs, and hands.

How to relieve it: Cases of ankylosing spondylitis can vary from person to person, but physical therapy, ice and heat, pain medication, and posture exercises may relieve the pain.

Spinal stenosis occurs when one or more of the spaces in your spinal canal narrows. This narrowing causes the spinal cord and nerves to become irritated or pinched, causing back pain ranging from dull to burning or sciatica. Spinal stenosis is commonly caused by osteoporosis and usually occurs in the neck or lower back.

How to relieve it: Pain medication such as ibuprofen and physical therapy are common methods for relieving spinal stenosis pain. More severe cases may require steroid injections or a decompression procedure which increases spinal canal space.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the blood cells in the bones, which accelerates the breakdown of bones, especially those in the spine. This can cause back pain due to fractures. Signs of multiple myeloma also include fatigue, increased urination, and recurrent infections.

How to relieve it: Pain medication, radiation therapy, and surgery to support bones can help relieve back pain caused by multiple myeloma.

Spinal deformities prevent the spine from functioning properly and can cause lower back pain. Types of spinal deformities include:

How to relieve it: Treatment for spinal deformities includes physical therapy, posture training, and wearing a back brace.

Some back pain goes as quickly as it came but, other times, you need to visit a doctor. According to Wu and Mukai, you should see a doctor if:

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10 common causes of lower back pain and tips on how to relieve it - Insider